Article coating apparatus



ay 2'?, i947,

ARTICLE COATING APPARATUS N. H. MAGEOCZH Filed Jan. '7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l /M VE N TOR MMM/46mm A 7' TOR/VE Y May 27, 1947. N. H. MAGEocl-l 2,421,343

ART ICLE COAT ING APPARATUS Filed Jan. .'7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIlllIl/Illlll ill /NVENTOR N. H. MA GEOCH RNL Y ATTORNEY Patented May 27, .1947

ARTICLE coA'rING APPARATUS Nelson H. Mageoch, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 7, 1944, Seria1N0.517,353

2 Claims.

This invention relates to article coating apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for coating quartz crystal plates.

In the manufacture of quartz crystal units for use in the communications arts, the quartz crystal plates or wafers are coated with a metallic substance.

An object of the invention is to provide a coating apparatus which is simple in structure and automatically operable for coating opposite sides of articles simultaneously.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a spray unit actuable to spray a coating material in a, given path, transporting articles in a path traversing lthe path of the coating material, and means under'the control of the articles to control'th spray unit.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when' considered in.` conjunction with the accompanying drawings.. wherein I l Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational .view of one of the masks;

, Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical'sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of one ofthe articles after it has received the coatings of material uponeach side thereof, and

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram illustrating the control circuit. v

Referring now to the drawings, attention is rst directed to Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate a base I supporting a motor II and a speed reducing unit I2 through the aid of a bracket I4. An output shaft I ofthe unit I2 has a gear I6 mounted thereon which drives a gear Il, the latter being xedly mounted upon a shaft I8. .The shaft I8 is journalled in bearings, supported in vertical members 20 mounted on the base I0, and has a drum 22 mounted thereon. The drum 22 drives an endless conveyor belt 23, which is supported also by a drum 24, the latter being mounted upon a shaft 25. The shaft 25 is rotatably supported by a. U-shaped cradlev 26 which in turn is mounted upon a roc-ker shaft 2l, as illustrated in Figs.

v1 and 3. The rocker shaft 21 is supported by brackets 28 mounted upon the base Ill and has a 30, having one end supported by a pin 3I and the other end connected to the lever 29, normally urges the lever counterclockwse (Fig. 1) to apply a constant tension on the belt 23. The vertical members 20 extend to [positions short of the drum 24 and a lateral table member 34 is disposed between the upper ends of the vertical members 20 and secured thereto, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The upper surface of the table member y34 is recessed, as at "35, to receive the belt 23. 'Longitudinal guides 36 are mounted upon the vertical members 2U, as .Shown in Figs. l1 and 4, Aand extend over the recessed portion 35 short distances to centrally locate the mask illustrated in Fig. 5 upon the conveyor belt.

Referring now to the mask indicated generally at 38 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5), C-shaped or channel members 4|! and 4I are provided to hold articles 42 (Fig. '7) therebetween and to mask out or cover all portions thereof except those to be coated. The article v42 in the present instance is a quartz crystal plate, the central part of which, uponv each side, is to be providedI with a' coating 43 of the desired contour, such as that shown, with integral] legs 44 and, 45 on opposite sides extending in opposite directions.A Thus, in the present inv apertures 5I therein and through the aid 'of screws 52 receivable in the apertures and threadedly receivable in apertures 53 of the member 4U, the elements are adjustably secured in place on the central portion of the member 40. V-shaped notches 55 are formed in the elements, 50 at equally spaced positionsto receive opposing corners of articles 42 and thus accurately locatethe articles with respect to the a ertures 46 and 41. Thrpugh the adjustable feature made possible through the elongate apertures 5I, articles varying'in Size may be receivediand accurately located with respect to the coating receiving apertures 46' and 4T. The member 4I is provided with a plurality of apertures 58v to receive the heads 3 A As illustrated in Figs. i, 2, and 4, the mask 38 or article supporting unit. as it may be termed,

is adapted to ride upon the belt 23 in a vertical position resting upon one pair o! legs o! the members 40 and 4| and to be carried by the belt toward a receiving platform l2 (Fig. l) supported by the base |0. During this travel o! the mask, a roller carrying arm 04 oi a switch B5 is actuated prior to arriving at a coating or spraying position indicated generally 'at 08. When the switch 65 is actuated, circuits hereinafter described are completed to cause actuation of pneumatic cylinders 61 (Fig. 2) to operate spraying units 68 to cause opposing sprays 68 of coating material to be directed to the path of the mask. Beyond the coating position '66 (Fig. 1), an actuating lever is positioned in the path of the mask to be actuated thereby, to cause actuation of a roller carrying arm 1| of a switch 12. The switch 12 serves to maintain actuation of the pneumatic cylinders 61 to keep in action the spraying units 68 until the mask has passed the coating position 66. The switches `65 and 12 are mounted upon suitable brackets 13 and 14, which `in turn kare secured to the adjacent vertical member 20.

The spraying units 68 (Fig. 2) may be of any desired commercially known type actuable through the aid of triggers 15. The coating material may be supplied thereto through their supply line 1B in any suitable manner (not shown). Further details of the units 88 are not believed necessary for a clear understanding of the invention. These units are supported by brackets 18, which in turn support the pneumatic cylinders 61. The brackets 18 are mounted upon vertical members or rods 19. the latter being supported by brackets 80 adjustably secured to a laterally extending rod 89 carried by the base I0 (Figs. 1 and 2). Cylindrical elements 9|, supported by brackets 02 iixedly mounted upon their respective vertical members 20, serve as shields for the sprays 69 of coating material. The connection between the pneumatic cylinders 61 and thetriggers 15 of the spraying units 68 are yoketype levers 94 pivotally supported at 95 upon the brackets 18 and formed to be engaged by plungers or cores 98 of the pneumatic cylinders.

Attention Vis now directed to Fig. 8, which l illustrates the electrical circuit controlled by the switches i5 and 12 and the compressed air circuits for the pneumatic cylinders 61. Supply lines |00 and |0| for the `ynecessary electricalA energy are illustrated. When the switch 65 is closed by the mask 38 travelling on the conveyor belt 23 (Fig. 1), a circuit is completed from line |00 at connection |02 through switch 85, a winding |03, of an electromagnetically operable valve |04, to line |0| at connection |05. The valve |04 is of the three-Way type normally in exhaust position, as indicated by the actuable or arrow portion |08 in solid lines extending from the air line |01 to the exhaust line |08. When energized, connection will be made between the line |01 and a compressed air supply |09 as indicated by the actuable portion |06 in dotted lines. The

` time rest upon its leg portions.

valve |04 energized until aiter the mask passes with'articles und closed, may be disposed upon,

the conveyor belt 23, which is constantly driven through the aid of the motor Il, the speed reducing unit |2, and the gears I6 and |1 (Fig. 2) The apparatus requires no .further attention by the operator, as it is completely under the control of the units or masks supporting the articles. As the mask actuates the switch 65, the circuit is completed to energize the magnetic valve, to cause actuation of the pneumatic cylinders 61, to set in operation the spraying units 68. This operation continues through the actuation of the switch 12. If the masks or units should be closely positioned on the conveyor belt 23, there will be continuous operation of the spraying units.

As the masks with the articles pass the spraying position, the coating material 89 is directed toward both sides of the masks and the portions of the articles exposed through the apertures 46 and 41, and their lateral extensions 48 and 49 are coated with the material 69. This completes the formation of the coated portions 43 upon both sides of the article with their leg portions 44 and 45 upon their respective sides. In passing from the conveyor belt 23, the articles are moved upon the platform 82 and from here they may pass through a drying oven, if so desired, to hasten the drying of the coated material. After the articles have been coated, they may be readily removed from the mask by first removing the clamping nuts 60, lifting the member 4| free of the member 40, which may at this The articles may then be dropped or otherwise removed from the member 40 from between the spacing elements 50 such as by inverting the member 40 over a suitable support or container. After this, the mask may be reloaded with another supply of articles, closed, and again placed upon the conveyor belt Although specific improvements ofthe inventerial, means actuable by articles prior to reachpistons in the cylinders 61 carrying the plungers l ing the path of the material to cause operation of the electrical means, and means disposed beyond the spray unit and actuable by each article to maintain the operation of the electrical means until each article has passed completely beyond the path of the material.

2. An apparatus for coating articles comprising a spray unit actuable to spray a coating material in a given path, electrically operable means to actuate the unit, a conveyor movable in a path at an angle relative to the path of the coating material to convey articles successively through the latter path, means actuable by arti- 6 cies prior to reaching the path of the material e to cause operation of the electrical means, and STATES PATENTS meansV disposed beyond the spray unit and actu- Number Name Date able by each article to maintain the operation of 2,110,052 Paasche Mar. 1, 1938 the electrical mesme` until each article has passed 5 2,114,723 Paasche Apr. 19, 1938 completely beyond the path oi the material. 2,041,001 Knowlton May 19, 1936 t 2,271,442 Sanborn Jan. 27. 1942 NEI-SON H- MAGEOCH- 1,959,711 Fuut et a1; May 22, 1934 1,917,767 Larson July 11, 1933 REFERENCES CITED l0 1,954,210 Jones Apr. 1o, 1934 `The following references are of record in the 2.161,030 Fischer June 6 1939 me of this patent: 220,596 Fitzgerald Oct. 14, 1879 

